Dark Taboo Romance Falls Short

 

Hello Friends, 

I have seriously slacked on my blog posts since I started to write my own book, which is going horribly. 

I have also slowed down on how many ARCs I review at a time. When you're on a deadline and rushing to read all of these books at once, it takes the fun out of reading. So this week I am focusing on books that I read in my free time... I am not writing about Onyx Storm this week, because I am still not mentally prepared for it. 

This week, I dove into "Ghost Dick" by Kinsley Kincaid. What drew me to this book? For starters, anything labeled as Dark and Taboo has my immediate attention. If there are trigger warnings, it's an automatic addition to my TBR list. As an avid book collector, I'm always on Mercari hunting for new additions to add to my collection. Every time I come across RIPs edition of "Ghost Dick," it's priced at over $400, which only fueled my desire to read it even more. 

Due to its taboo nature, it wasn't available for download on Amazon, so I went ahead and purchased the paperback edition. The cover is cute, the plot seemed interesting, and the reviews promised it to be a quick read. 

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a terrible read FOR ME. The characters were awful, especially Merrick, who is the MMC. I had to force myself to finish this book.

The story follows Fallom, a girl who is thrust into turmoil after the death of her father. She is forced to move to her father's hometown. Port Canyon, Fallon must live with her estranged grandmother—a very mean and unpleasant woman. Adding to the chaos is the ghost of Fallon's uncle "Merrick," her father's brother, who harbors a resentment towards Fallon. 

The town is cursed, its residents trapped for eternity, compelled to inherit the role of their ancestors. For Fallon, this means becoming a grave keeper, a family duty passed down for generations. The issue for Fallon is that her grandmother has no plans of giving this responsibility up. 

While the premise holds immense potential, the narrative often finds itself overshadowed by the relationship between Fallon and Merrick. Unfortunately, Merrick's character is the weakest link for this book. His childish and immature behavior makes it difficult to sympathize with him or even like him. I can understand his anger about the curse and his dislike for his mom, but his demeanor was so off-putting that I nearly didn't finish the book. Not to mention the overused phrase "stupid little girl."

By the end, Merrick's character remains frustratingly juvenile, even if he appears happier. His relationship with Fallon felt forced. I don't even understand how she could have even fallen for him and had children with him.

Moreover, the other family members and even Fallon's father seemed oddly accepting of this bizarre, frowned-upon incestuous relationship. Obviously, there's more than just a curse going on in this town. 

While the book had the potential to be a captivating tale of family, curses, and supernatural intrigue, it falls short due to the poorly developed character of Merrick.

Before diving into this book, make sure you read any trigger warnings it may have. This book is available in paperback on Amazon. Remember, this is just my opinion on this book. Just because I didn't enjoy the book doesn't mean you won't like it. 

This week I am reading Ruby Wolff's GOAL BOY.